twoflyers

23 hours ago, twoflyers said:

• Ship:  Equinox
• Length of Cruise: 6 nights
• Cruise Sail Date: October 8, 2023
• Date email offer received: Did not receive an offer, went onto Celebrity website and bid.
• Captain’s Club Tier: Elite Plus
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: Prime Veranda (9101) Very front of ship, port side, 9th deck 
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details: All bids are person

• Cabin Category: Concierge Cabin
• Bid Offer:  $150.00 PP
• Notification Date: We've not been notified, but our bid is locked and showing "Pending". 
• Accepted / Rejected: Rejected 

General Comments (offer details, etc.) As of 10/06 I do not have the option to modify my bid, but still showing my original cabin assignment (which we booked as a GTY).  

• Ship:  Equinox
• Length of Cruise: 6 nights
• Cruise Sail Date: October 8, 2023
• Date email offer received: Did not receive an offer, went onto Celebrity website and bid.
• Captain’s Club Tier: Elite Plus
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: Prime Veranda (9101) Very front of ship, port side, 9th deck 
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details: All bids are person

• Cabin Category: Concierge Cabin
• Bid Offer:  $150.00 PP
• Notification Date: We've not been notified, but our bid is locked and showing "Pending". 
• Accepted / Rejected: ?????  Will update 

General Comments (offer details, etc.) As of 10/06 I do not have the option to modify my bid, but still showing my original cabin assignment (which we booked as a GTY).  

We are doing this same route in April and are using ZoneTransfers.  They quoted a price of 130 Euros, this may go up or down based on fuel and currency changes.  Good luck!!

A question for Viking veterans.  Does Viking usually provide guests with the option of purchasing airport transfers at the end of a cruise? 

Thanks in advance!

Try Stuart's Conch stand - best conch salad we've ever had,  and we've tried many.  Fresh, huge portion and ice cold beer - good prices.  I believe it's a bit closer to the port than Joe's'.  You can rent a golf cart and tool around instead of going to a disappointing beach or casino.

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

We have had many excellent bartenders at the WCB/  Yolanda and Kykoa on Silhouette and Dmytro and Limish on Reflection are some that really stood out in our opinions.  

Then again, I cannot recall having a bad bartender at the WCB ever. 

 

Dymytro is now on the Beyond.  On the October T/A he was working in the Sunset bar.

First cruise ever was on the Zenith in March of 1993 - Ran into the "storm of the century".  Second cruise on the Zenith in August of 1998 - ran into Hurricane Bonnie off the Virginia coast on our way back from Bermuda.  Swore off the Zenith after that!!  

• Ship:  Beyond
• Length of Cruise: 12 nights (transantlantic)
• Cruise Sail Date: Oct 12 2022
• Date email offer received: 09/24/2022
• Captain’s Club Tier [“PREVIEW” = first Celebrity Cruise]:  Elite Plus
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: Travel Agent
• Current Cabin:  Infinite Veranda
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Infinite Aqua Cabin and Sky Suite
• Bid Offer: $420 for Aqua, $1200 for Sky.  
• Notification Date:  Waiting
• Accepted / Rejected:  Waiting
• General Comments (offer details, etc.)

Minimum bid for the Aqua cabin was $200.  We bid $420 which was the lowest for a "Strong" bid. 

Minimum bid for the Sky Suite was $1000.  We bid $1200 which was the lowest for a "Strong" bid. 

2 hours ago, marieps said:

I hit "get a quote" for Miami Cruise parking and got the screen you see.   You can book airport parking, but they don't shuttle to POM.  Uber may still be cost effective, depending on the length or your cruise.  

Hi Marie, 

I was responding to cruisn'k, who is departing on a flight out of Miami, he/she is not requesting information for POM parking.   Also, in their post they mention that they've never used Uber and are unfamiliar with how to use that service.  

1 hour ago, marieps said:

Park N Fly has also closed MIA.  They need to reflect that in their drop down locations box.  It's not up to date.  Click on FLL or MIA and it will not let you book.

I just went onto the MIA ParknFly website and was able to go through a booking up to the point of payment.  Doesn't look like they are closed.   

3 hours ago, crusin'k said:

Any suggestions for this issue:  Leaving Oct 7 from the Miami airport for a nonstop flight to Barcelona. On Oct 12, we are boarding Beyond for TA to Cape Liberty.  Two days later, we will reboard Beyond for a cruise which will eventually end in Fort Lauderdale.  We live in Naples (Ave Maria) FL and always park at Park n Go - it is less than a 1 1/2 hr drive.  I know it would be expensive to do that, but any other transport I can find from Naples is even more expensive (by a long shot).  Our delimma is, if we park at Park n Go, how do we get to the Miami airport?  We have never used Uber and don't know how we would get them to pick us up at Park n Go.  We have thought of maybe taking the Park n Go shuttle to the cruise port and trying to get a cab or Uber there to take us to MIA.  Any suggestions are appreciated.

Hi cruisn'k,

How about parking at ParknFly at MIA and upon return to Port Everglades book the bus service to MIA that Celebrity usually offers through their "shore excursion" desk?  

We frequently used the ParknFly in Fort Lauderdale for cruises until they ceased operations a month or so ago because the owners sold the property.  We liked them better than ParknGo because we were able to self park and keep our car keys, which might be an important factor especially considering the time you'll be away.   They also appear to have covered valet parking at their Miami lot, if you are concerned about potential weather damage.   

We're on the same Beyond itinerary and will be heading over to BCN on the 9th.  Have a great trip and see you onboard!! 

On 8/20/2022 at 9:51 PM, Luv2Crus40 said:

Someone said they got their free drinks during dinner in the MDR between 5 and 7.  Anyone else have luck with that?

Friends just off the Equinox last week said the same. 

One additional tip regarding the use of "promo" chips.  If you are Elite or higher on Celebrity, you receive three "match play" coupons to use at the gaming tables.  You can't use the "match plays" with the promo chips, so you either need to use the chips you received on winning hands (regular chips) or you'll need to buy some regular chips at the table. 

Also, make sure to use up your promo chips first and keep your winnings to the side, because you can't cash out your promo chips. 

Also, we've never been assessed a 5% fee.

@wrk2cruise

Sadly, no changes were made to public spaces, same furniture, window treatments and carpet.

I have to repeat - the crew in every venue was wonderful.  Even though there were only 700+ of them and 1,800 guests.   Service took some time, but was always delivered with a smile. 

A friend was booked on the January 2023 Infinity Antarctica cruise, but moved it out to 2024 (Eclipse) sailing instead.   Celebrity would be better served keeping this ship in the Caribbean instead of sending it to Europe or S.America.

Just sailed on the June 25th Infinity sailing, the final ship to return to service.  Won't go into the challenges both guests and passengers faced on that sailing, but can report that the crew is wonderful, despite the difficulties they faced that were not of their making.

The ship is in "generally" good condition.  The maintenance crew was trying to work on a variety of passenger comfort issues, i.e. lack of cabin a/c, non-working cabin phones, strong chemical odors in cabins (painting), cabin safes not working, cabin fridges not working.  The Guest relations staff had lines (8-10 people) in front of them pretty much every day, all day.   

The bedding appeared to be new - the bed was very comfy.  The rest of the cabin was pretty much the way they were when everything shut down.  Bathrooms still have the shower curtain.  Cabin still has the small, old Samsung TV.

We still had a nice cruise,  but would sail on the Summit, Reflection or Equinox again before the Infinity, even though we love the beach at Grand Turk.  ☹️

49 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

Our January Apex and March Edge cruises had Woodford, at least in the Retreat Lounge and, in the Club as I recall. Macallan in the Club at times. Worst supplied lounge seemed to be the Magic Carpet. 

 

Be glad you aren’t on Royal where the selection has been very poor. No Woodford, Bulleit, Buffalo Trace and rarely Makers. If you like Jameson and JD you are all set. Of course, the store has it all:

 

 

mac_tlc

 

Celebrity and Royal contract their shops' inventory - both liquor and sundries - out to an independent vendor.   Whatever liquor you see in there is not Celebrity or RCL stock and the employees working there are not Celebrity or RCL employees, but work for the vendor. 

55 minutes ago, cvicknola said:

Thank you very much! Any chance you recall if there was a selection of champagne or sparkling wines? 

Sorry, I don't.  Enjoy your cruise!

2 hours ago, cvicknola said:

We're going on our first Celebrity cruise next week.  I was looking at the "Taste of the Vineyards" premium wine package.  However, I can't find ANY info on what wines are avail with this.  I called Celebrity and got nowhere.  Does anyone have any experience with this package or know what wines are available?  Any guidance would be appreciated! 

We were on the June 4th sailing of the Equinox and had pre-purchased the premium wine package (5 bottles).  We found they had a nice selection of reds and whites and each wine we ordered they had in stock.  Some examples, Wolf Blass Shiraz, Matanzas Creek Merlot, Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse and Cakebread Chardonnay.  It appeared as though some of the wines had been onboard since before the pandemic.  For example, the Wolf Blass Shiraz was a 2014.  That said, none of the wines were spoiled or corked.  Also, the sommeliers were great about tagging them if we did not finish and we were able to request they be poured for lunch the next day in the dining room, or even in Sushi on Five. 

Hope this helps.

DH and I just got off the Equinox on Sunday (same itinerary).  The staff is amazing, friendly and welcoming.  Captain Matt starts every morning with birthday and anniversary wishes - so nice!  We did not go to all of the shows, many were ones we'd seen before, but Jared Freiburg and the Vagabonds, and Brianna Foulk (a Tina Turner cover) were definitely worth seeing.

We found the food in the MDR generally to be very good and the wait staff to be excellent - although handling many tables.  We had the premium wine package and found our wine sommeliers (ours were Ravi and Novia) were terrific. 

Our veranda cabin was comfortable, very clean and well serviced by our awesome cabin steward.

The itinerary is great - found interesting things to do in each port (exception was Nassau, where we did not get off the ship).  We did not do any ship excursions.

On the evening of day 7 (5:30 p.m.) Captain Matt announced that the ship had gotten to the 1% Covid level which required CDC reporting.  Mask compliance during the cruise was fair/good where required (casino and theater), otherwise rare.   We wore masks everywhere, unless eating/drinking and tried to maintain "social distancing".  We have another cruise scheduled for 06/25 so we tried to ensure that we would be "negative" for our 06/23 pre-cruise test.   

The Equinox is a great ship with a great crew, but is ready for a refurbishment which looks to be scheduled for in 2023 at the earliest.     

You'll have a great time - ENJOY!! 

Hi,

If I understand your message, it sounds as though you have already gone onto the Celebrity website and have accessed Move-up site.   The Move-up site will show the categories available for you to bid upon.  If the category isn't there, Celebrity has not made it available for a Move-up.  

When you place your cursor on the "sliding scale" and move it slowly to the right, you will see the minimum bid and as you move the "sliding scale" to the right, the price increases until you reach the maximum bid.

Before entering a bid for an upgrade, it is a good idea to check and see what price Celebrity is currently charging for the cabin that you are interested in.

You are correct, it is per person and the total amount bid is for the entire cruise.  Another thing to consider, Celebrity at some point may show your bid as not yet awarded, but not allow you to amend it - i.e. you can't change the amount and you can't cancel it.  I am in this situation on a June cruise.  I bid for an upgrade to Aqua, Celebrity has not awarded the bid, but I cannot cancel or amend it.  I believe it means I will be awarded the upgrade, but my credit card has not been charged and I have not received a new cabin assignment.

Finally, if your original booking included the drink package, gratuities and wi-fi you will keep those amenities.

Hope this helps!!

45 minutes ago, Maddie38 said:

Did you press the button for a new reservation? The reason I ask is because we booked through a TA and there was an error on our reservation and our TA wasn't responding. I called Celebrity and selected the manage current reservation option and held for a very long time and when someone finally picked up the phone they had to transfer to the new reservation team... not sure why but the hold for that was only a few minutes.

Thank you for your suggestion.  I was trying to correct the price of our premium liquor package, specifically they did not apply our Elite+ credit.  I chose the phone tree option for onboard purchases.  I'll try out your tip tomorrow.

I know Celebrity's reservation's group is understaffed, but this is ridiculous.

Now, at one hour and forty one minutes they just dropped my call.   

Unbelievable! 

If you are trying to do this via the App, try uninstalling and reinstalling.  I had a similar problem yesterday trying to update my vaccination status and reinstalling the App solved the problem.  

CELEBRITY MOVE-UP TRACKER

• Ship:  Infinity
• Length of Cruise: 7 Days
• Cruise Sail Date: June 25, 2022
• Date email offer received: April 12, 2022
• Captain’s Club Tier: Elite Plus
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: 8045 Concierge Cabin
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Aqua Class
• Bid Offer: $155 (Minimum bid was $150)
• Notification Date: Pending
• Accepted / Rejected: Pending

General Comments:  As of today, the Move-Up request cannot be "Modified" or "Canceled", so I believe the Move-Up request will be awarded.  Just waiting for the notification from my CC company.    😉

38 minutes ago, kearney said:

We have been using Park N Go.. make a reservation online and depending upon how far out you do so the cost is between $8- 12/day (or at least it has been). They quickly load your bags and quickly fill up the van and drop you off.. At the end of the trip they are there to pick you up. The only negative is leaving your keys with them. As a precaution..before we get to the lot I photograph the exterior of the car and take a photo of the mileage..just in case. So far I have not had an issue. They know where the ships are... DH has mobility issues, but can get into the van... better than me leaving him and then going to park the car...

Park and Fly, right off 595, provides the same service and convenience.  An additional plus, you keep your car keys.  Van drivers are super.  A couple of trips ago, I couldn't remember if I had locked the car.  He said "Don't worry, this happens all the time.  I'll check the car when I get back to the lot."   

He earned a great tip!!